LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
April 23/15Bible Quotation For
Today/No one
can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that
person up on the last day
John 06/41-47: "Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am
the bread that came down from heaven.’They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the
son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, "I have come
down from heaven"?’Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No
one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that
person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be
taught by God." Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen
the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.

Bible Quotation For
Today/Since therefore Christ
suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention for whoever
has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin.First Letter of Peter 04/01-11:
"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same
intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as
to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the
will of God.
You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living
in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless
idolatry. They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses
of dissipation, and so they blaspheme.
But they will have to give an account to him who stands ready to judge the
living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to
the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is
judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.
The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves
for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another,
for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without
complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another
with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one
speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that
God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.
To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever."

Presidential Elections Postponed to May 13
Naharnet/The presidential elections were postponed once again after parliament
failed for the 22nd time to meet the required quorum to hold the polls. Speaker
Nabih Berri postponed the elections to May 13. MTV reported that 44 lawmakers
were present at the session. Lebanon has been without a president since May when
the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing
disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise presidential
candidate have thwarted the polls. The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc of
Hizbullah and the Change and Reform bloc of Michel Aoun have been boycotting the
elections.

Berri Threatens to Dissolve
Parliament over Upcoming Session Dilemma
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri warned on Wednesday of dissolving the parliament
if lawmakers abstained from attending any session that he calls for without
having a valid excuse. Berri lashed out at Kataeb and Free Patriotic Movement
MPs, stressing that if “a key component didn't attend the sessions, then he will
postpone them.” “If they insist on paralyzing the parliament, then I will call
for dissolving it, in accordance with my jurisdiction,” Berri said in comments
published in local newspapers. He pointed out that as soon as a new president is
elected, then he will call on the cabinet to dissolve the parliament according
to the Constitution. Vacuum striking the presidential post is having a tough
impact on the cabinet and the parliament as the state is threatened with further
crises over ongoing rows between the rival parties. Berri is seeking to call for
a session to approve urgent issues, including the wage scale for the public
sector and the food safety draft-law. Parliament convenes twice a year in two
ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-March until the end of May and the
second from the middle of October through the end of December. On Monday, deputy
Speaker Farid Makari said that the majority of the representatives of the
parliamentary blocs agreed to attend the upcoming legislative session.

Report: Change and Reform Ministers Will Not Resign over
Security Appointments Dispute
Naharnet/The ministers of the Change and Reform bloc will not resign from
cabinet over the dispute on the security appointments, reported As Safir
newspaper on Wednesday. Sources from Rabieh explained that bloc chief MP Michel
Aoun is not willing to “relinquish the positions in cabinet in favor for
others.”“The response to the extension of the terms of security officials,
should it happen, will take place from an unexpected place,” they added. The
response will be revealed before June 5, they said. The Change and Reform bloc
is represented at cabinet by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and Education
Minister Elias Bou Saab. Aoun is pushing the case of security appointments to be
discussed at cabinet before June 5 on the basis that there is a chance to find a
replacement to Internal Security Forces chief Ibrahim Basbous, said As Safir.
There will also be enough time to find a replacement to Army Commander General
Jean Qahwaji, whose term ends in September. Basbous is expected to retire in
June. The military positions in Lebanon are suffering as a result of the
months-long presidential vacuum in light of the parliament's failure to elect a
successor to Michel Suleiman. Media reports had said that Aoun is seeking
political consensus on the appointment of his son-in-law Commando Regiment chief
Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment
of other top security officers. Roukoz's tenure ends in October 2015. Aoun has
denied that he had made such a proposal.

Hariri Kicks Off Washington Visit, to Tackle Situation in
Lebanon and Region
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri
kicked off a visit to Washington to tackle the latest developments in the region
and the world. The state-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday that
Hariri kick-started his meetings with congressmen from Lebanese origin.
California Congressman Darrell Issa, who is Lebanese-American, told the radio
station that Hariri stressed after the meeting the importance of resolving the
presidential stalemate, which is a priority. “It constitutes a glimmer of hope,”
Issa said. MPs failed on several occasions to elect a new head of state over
lack of quorum. President Michel Suleiman's term ended in May without the
election of a successor. Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel
Aoun's Change and Reform bloc have been boycotting electoral sessions due to a
disagreement with the March 14 camp over a compromise presidential candidate.
Issa pointed out that Hariri briefed the congressmen on the needs of the
Lebanese security forces and the challenges that the country is facing due to
the Syrian refugees crisis. Lebanon is hosting around 1.5 million Syrian
refugees, an enormous strain for a country with a population of just four
million. The UNHCR has regularly urged the international community to provide
Lebanon with greater assistance to tackle the influx. Hariri is expected to meet
senior U.S. officials during his visit to Washington, including U.S. Vice
President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Sources close to the
Lebanese official told al-Joumhouria newspaper that Hariri's visit is to inspect
the U.S. stance from the turmoils in the region and their repercussion on
Lebanon. On Monday, Hariri held talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz at
the al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh ahead of his visit to Washington. During the
meeting, Hariri thanked the monarch for “the kingdom's keenness on Lebanon's
security and stability as well as its support for the Lebanese army in terms of
boosting its preparedness and strength so that it can confront terror and defend
Lebanon's borders,” the ex-PM's office said in a statement. Lebanon received
earlier this week the first shipment of the $3 billion worth of French arms
under a Saudi-financed deal to boost the country's defensive capabilities.

March 14 to urge LF to attend next
Parliament session
Hasan Lakkis/The Daily Star/Apr. 23, 2015
BEIRUT: March 14 lawmakers will intensify efforts to convince the Lebanese
Forces Party to take part in a legislative session before the end of
Parliament’s regular term, sources from the coalition said Wednesday. Speaker
Nabih Berri has expressed his irritation with the decision of major Christian
parties to boycott the upcoming legislative session. Speaking to The Daily Star,
the sources said that March 14 MPs were trying to persuade the LF to rethink its
decision to boycott the session by including the 2015 draft budget on the
agenda.
Sources said that the attempt was aimed at securing the holding of a legislative
session before the expiration of Parliament’s regular term at the end of May.
Out of respect for Lebanon’s National Pact, which dictates its confessional
power sharing system, Speaker Nabih Berri will not chair a Parliament session
that is boycotted by all the Christian parties who have significant
representation. Three powerful Christian blocs, the Kataeb Party, MP Michel
Aoun’s bloc and the LF, have announced they will boycott the legislative
session.
The Kataeb Party opposes any legislative session before the election of a new
president, while the LF and Aoun’s bloc maintain that the draft laws on the
session’s agenda do not fall under the category of ‘necessary legislation’ which
is all they will support in the absence of a president. Berri expressed his
frustration at Parliament’s paralysis, as a number of pressing draft laws await
approval.
“Halting the legislative activity and paralyzing Parliament is unacceptable,
knowing that the draft laws to be included on the agenda of the session are
important and non-contentious,” Berri reportedly told lawmakers Wednesday during
his weekly meeting with MPs at his Ain al-Tineh residence. In earlier remarks,
Berri warned that he would ask the new president to call on the government to
dissolve Parliament if lawmakers continued to boycott sessions. Parliamentary
sources said that convincing the LF to participate in the session is also aimed
at isolating Aoun’s bloc. LF MP George Adwan said his group would only attend a
Parliament session to pass necessary draft laws, which he said should include
the 2015 draft budget and a new election law. “We are ready for necessary
legislating, which should start with two draft laws: the draft budget including
figures from the [public sector] salary scale, and the election law,” Adwan said
at a news conference in Parliament.
“Legally and financially speaking, excluding the cost of the salary scale from
the draft budget is a constitutional heresy,” he added. “The fact that the
budget is comprehensive requires that it should include all expenses and
revenues. I am surprised how someone can talk about excluding something costing
around LL2 trillion from the draft budget. How can we understand how much the
deficit is, if this amount is spent outside the budget?” Adwan asked.
Integrating the salary scale’s figures into the 2015 draft budget is a divisive
issue – Aoun’s bloc and the Kataeb Party both oppose the move. The dispute has
prevented the government from approving the draft budget twice over the past
week. Teachers and public sector employees have been demanding that Parliament
approve the salary scale for the last three years, and will strike Thursday to
protest its repeated delay. Adwan said excluding the draft election law from the
agenda of the upcoming legislative session indicated a willingness to continue
to apply the current election law, known as the 1960 law. “Elections under the
1960 law will deprive a significant number of the Lebanese from appropriate
representation,” he claimed. Future bloc MP Ghazi Youssef, who also spoke at the
news conference, said his group backed including the salary scale figures in the
budget. “The draft budget forecasts the expenses and revenues stipulated by the
government. So if we want to forecast salary scale figures, we should include
them in the draft budget,” Youssef said. The lawmaker voiced his surprise that
some political parties are calling for the separation of the draft budget and
salary scale figures when they supported their integration during parliamentary
committee meetings. Adwan’s stance on the issue appeared to soften after a
meeting with Youssef, Future bloc head Fouad Siniora and MP Marwan Hamade from
Walid Jumblatt’s bloc.Speaking after the meeting, Adwan said that an agreement
had been reached on attending the Parliament session, provided the government
referred to the legislature a budget including the salary scale figures. Siniora
highlighted the need for Parliament to resume its legislating activity. “The
presidency in Lebanon has been hijacked, the government is being shaken every
day, and we are left with Parliament, which should give the civilized image that
it is working,” Siniora said. Berri postponed Wednesday’s Parliament session to
elect a president until May 13, after the legislature failed to elect a head of
the state for the 22nd time for the lack of quorum.

Rai to seek French help in ending
presidential vacuum
Antoine Ghattas Saab/The Daily Star/Apr. 23, 2015
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai is expected to seek France’s help during
his visit to Paris next week in accelerating the election of a Lebanese
president, political sources said Wednesday, in the latest attempt by the
influential Maronite Church to end the 11-month-old vacuum in the country’s top
Christian post. Rai arrived in Armenia Tuesday to attend a ceremony
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. He is scheduled to
visit Paris on April 27 and meet French President Francois Hollande for talks
centering on Parliament’s repeated failure to choose a successor to former
President Michel Sleiman, whose six-year tenure ended on May 25, the sources
said.
During a meeting to be held at the Elysee Palace next Monday, Rai is expected to
hand Hollande a memorandum highlighting Lebanon’s role as “a cultural value, an
ideal formula [for sectarian coexistence] and a place for a dialogue of cultures
and religions,” according to the sources. The memo stresses that Lebanon is
poised to serve as “an international center for a dialogue of faiths in the
region because it is the only democratic state in the Levant that has a model
pluralistic system” which has been inspired by several Arab states.
The memo also seeks France’s help in speeding up the election of a president now
that the vacuum in Lebanon’s highest Christian post has nearly reached a year,
the sources said. The memo voices concern over the repercussions of the
presidential vacuum on the country’s security and political and economic
stability, especially since the vacuum is threatening the current political
system, given the erosion besetting state institutions. Parliament failed
Wednesday in the 22nd abortive attempt since April 2014 to elect a president
over a lack of quorum, prompting Speaker Nabih Berri to postpone the session
until May 13. In addition to handing him the memo, Rai will discuss with
Hollande the Lebanese political crisis, with the presidential vacancy being at
the core of the talks, as well as the historic relations between France and the
Maronite Church and ways of expanding them, the sources said. They added that
Rai and Hollande would also discuss the shipments of French weapons to the
Lebanese Army and security forces funded by a $4 billion Saudi grant to help
them in the battle against terrorism.
The patriarch will reiterate his stance calling on the Lebanese to stand behind
the Army in the battle to reassert Lebanon’s sovereignty, stressing that the
military is the only institution around which the Lebanese of various trends and
affiliations rally, the sources said. During his visit to France, Rai is
scheduled to deliver a speech on the role of the Christians in the Levant at the
UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He will also attend a ceremony honoring former
deputy premier Issam Fares and confer on him a Vatican medal.
Rai Sunday will inaugurate the recently built headquarters of the Maronite
Archdiocese in Paris in the presence of the bishop for France and Europe Nasser
Gemayel and a large number of Lebanese expatriates in France. He will also open
a Lebanese Christian diaspora office in a suburb of Paris and announce the
establishment of the Maronite House in the French town of Modon. Before
returning to Beirut Tuesday, Rai is expected hold a news conference in Paris to
talk about the results of his visits to Armenia and France and outline his
position on Lebanese and regional developments.

Al-Rahi from Armenia: Lebanese United despite Political
Rift
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Wednesday that the
Lebanese rivals are united concerning the necessity to safeguard the country's
coexistence and diversity, considering that the Christian martyrs increased the
power of the Church and helped in spreading the religion. “Lebanon is passing
through a delicate situation... and despite the rift, the Lebanese are united
regarding the importance of protecting coexistence, diversity and the country's
openness,” al-Rahi said from Armenia, where he traveled to attend the centenary
commemoration of the Armenian genocide.He considered that the “world admires
Lebanon and its people.”“Lebanon is a wonderful and integrated mosaic that no
component in it could be sacrificed... which constituted its value,” al-Rahi
said. He called on politicians to bridge the gap and defuse tension and
disputes. “Muslims and Christians should rebuild a civil and democratic state
based on equality, respect of human rights and freedom,” al-Rahi said. The
patriarch is expected to head to France after his four-day visit to Armenia. In
Paris, al-Rahi will inaugurate Europe's Maronite Diocese in the town of Meudon
in the French capital's suburbs. He will reportedly meet with French President
Francois Hollande with the presidential stalemate topping the agenda of the
talks. Vacuum striking the presidential post since May is having a tough impact
on the cabinet and the parliament as the state is threatened with further crises
over ongoing rows between the rival parties. Al-Rahi hailed from Armenia the
“faithfulness of Armenians to Lebanon.”“Taking part in a mass to a commemorate
the Armenian genocide is an important event for us in the Middle East,” he said.
Armenians in Armenia and the diaspora, including Lebanon, will on April 24 mark
the 100th anniversary of the start of a campaign of genocide by Ottoman forces
in World War I to wipe them out of Anatolia. Turkey on Monday sought to reach
out to Armenians, saying it shared their pain and wanted to heal the wounds of
the past. In his conciliatory message, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stopped
well short of recognizing the killings as a genocide -- as Armenians want -- but
explicitly referred to deadly deportations of "Ottoman Armenians.” Historians
estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around
the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first
genocide of the 20th century. Turkey however, denies that the deaths constituted
genocide, saying the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims
of civil war and unrest.

Asiri Says Saudi Arabia Safeguarding Legitimate
Institutions, Stability in Lebanon
Naharnet /Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri stressed on Wednesday that
his country's decision to boost the capabilities of the Lebanese army is to
protect the country's legitimate institutions and safeguard its independence and
stability. “The grant comes in light of the enormous challenges confronting the
Lebanese army,” Asiri said in an interview with the news channel France 24 ,
describing the decision of Saudi Arabia as “wise.” The aid reflects Riyadh's
sincere emotions towards Lebanon and reaffirms the continuation of the bilateral
ties between the two countries, the ambassador pointed out. He denied that the
grant “targets any particular side,” stressing that it is offered to the
Lebanese army, which is formed of soldiers from different sects. On Monday,
Lebanon received the first shipment of $3 billion worth of French arms under a
Saudi-financed deal to boost the country's defensive capabilities to combat
terror threats, along its northeastern border in particular. Lebanon's allies
are seeking to bolster the country's defenses against the Islamic State group
and other jihadists pressing along its Syrian border. In August, the kingdom
also offered another $1 billion in funds to allow the army to purchase supplies
immediately. Asked about the latest verbal spat with Hizbullah chief Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah over the Saudi-led coalition offensive in Yemen, Asiri
expressed regret over “the tense speech delivered” by the party chief. “The
speech doesn't serve Lebanon's interests and its bilateral ties with Saudi
Arabia,” the ambassador noted. He lashed out at the Islamic Republic of Iran,
considering it behind sectarianism in the region. Tensions recently flared
between the Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah over Saudi Arabia's military
operation against Yemen. The former has backed the campaign, while the latter
has slammed it as blatant interference in the country's affairs. A war of words
soon ensued between the two sides, with movement chief MP Saad Hariri declaring
Saudi Arabia's right to defend Arab interests against Iran, while Nasrallah
vowed that the kingdom will suffer a defeat in its mission.

Arrest Warrants Issued against Bilal, Omar Miqati for
Belonging to ISIL
Naharnet/Arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday against detainees Bilal and
Omar Miqati for belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist
group, reported the National News Agency. It said that Military Tribunal Judge
Imad al-Zein issued the warrants after interrogating them over their terrorist
links. Bilal also confessed to executing serviceman Ali al-Sayyed, said NNA.
Earlier in April, the detainees were charged with belonging to ISIL in order to
carry out terrorist attacks. They were also charged with fighting the army in
the northeastern border town of Arsal in August. The suspects were arrested by
the Lebanese army on March 24 near a checkpoint in the eastern town of Hrabta.
If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty. Sayyed and a number of
other serviceman were abducted from Arsal in the wake of the clashes between the
army and jihadist groups. Three other hostages were also executed, while the
rest are still being held. Later on Wednesday, Zein issued arrest warrants
against detainees Nabil al-Siddiq and Ali Ayyoub on terrorism charges. Siddiq, a
Syrian also known as Abi Sayyaf, and Ayyoub were charged on April 15 with
belonging to ISIL and forming cells for the aim of carrying out terrorist
attacks. These cells were also trained to carry out assassinations and combating
the Lebanese army during its clashes with extremists in Arsal in August. Their
case was referred to the military general prosecution.

Bassil Warns of Plan to Keep Syrian Refugees Permanently in
Lebanon
Naharnet /Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil remarked on Wednesday that the case of
Syrian refugees is the greatest crisis modern Lebanon is facing. He said during
a conference on education held at Phoenicia Hotel: “There is a real plan to keep
displaced Syrians in Lebanon, which we should confront, as they should not be
turned into permanent refugees.”“The international community is responsible for
the suffering of the Syrian children because it failed to resolve their
country's crisis,” he noted. “The Lebanese state is also responsible because it
has not differentiated between the real war refugee and an economic refugee,”
added the minister. “The government's policy towards Syrian refugees has
threatened civil peace and national harmony,” Bassil stated. “Why doesn't the
international community eliminate Lebanon's foreign debt if it wants to help the
refugees in the country?” he wondered. There are more than 1.5 million Syrian
refugees in Lebanon. Well over half of them are living in insecure dwellings –
up from a third last year. The country has struggled to cope with their burden
since the eruption of the Syrian conflict in March 2011.

French Minister Says Church Attack Foiled in Paris
Naharnet/An IT student allegedly planning a church attack in France has been
arrested, the country's interior minister said Wednesday, just over three months
after Paris was hit by a jihadist killing spree. In a baffling series of events,
the 24-year-old Franco-Algerian -- known to intelligence services for wanting to
fight in Syria alongside jihadists -- was detained Sunday in Paris after he
himself called police over a bullet injury to his leg. "Several war weapons,
hand guns, ammunition, bullet-proof vests and computer and telephone hardware"
were subsequently found at his home and in his car, Interior Minister Bernard
Cazeneuve told reporters. His DNA was later found in the car of a young mother
from northern France who died in mysterious circumstances over the weekend near
Paris. Cazeneuve told reporters that apart from the weapons, police had also
discovered detailed research "clearly establishing that the person was planning
to commit an imminent attack against one or two churches". "Sunday morning, this
attack was foiled."The arrest comes more than three months after Islamic
extremists went on a three-day killing spree in and around Paris, leaving 17
people dead. The January 7-9 attacks on Charlie Hebdo magazine, a policewoman
and a Jewish supermarket sent shockwaves around the world, and prompted several
reforms in France including controversial new spy laws that are currently being
debated in parliament. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls reiterated government
warnings that the country was facing an "unprecedented terrorist threat".
"Terrorists are targeting France to divide us and our response must of course be
to protect citizens but also to rally together, unite and to be hugely
determined faced with this terrorist threat," he said on French television.
The attack was foiled by chance after the suspect called police on Sunday
morning, saying he was injured, according to police sources, who asked to remain
anonymous.
They found him with a bullet in the leg, and he described being wounded during a
settling of scores.Investigators do not exclude that he may have injured
himself. They followed traces of blood left by the suspect and found his car,
where they discovered part of the "arsenal" described by Cazeneuve. Then they
searched his home in southeast Paris and found the incriminating research on his
computer. Several members of his entourage and family have since been detained,
some of whom sympathize with radical Islam, the sources said.
During their investigations, police then discovered the suspect's DNA in the car
of Aurelie Chatelain, an unemployed dance enthusiast, who was found dead over
the weekend in Villejuif near Paris -- the town where the churches were
targeted, according to a police source.
But the suspect's alleged link to the death was not clear.
Chatelain's body was discovered on Sunday morning in her car. She had been shot
three times. The 32-year-old mother had just come to the area from northern
France to take a pilates training course and had written of how happy she was to
be there on her Facebook page on Saturday evening. Some nine hours later, her
body was discovered by passers-by as smoke poured out of the car from an
overheating laptop. A judicial source told AFP Sunday that investigators were
open to all possibilities.
But Chatelain's distraught father, Jean-Luc, told AFP Monday that the mother of
five-year-old Juliette had no enemies. "The father of the little girl... and my
daughter have been separated for several years but they got along fine," he
said. Cazeneuve promised Wednesday that the probe would determine why Chatelain
was killed, and reiterated that the country was faced with an "unprecedented
terrorist threat". Hundreds of French nationals have left France to join
jihadist ranks in Iraq and Syria, where they represent almost half the number of
European fighters present, according to a report released this month by the
upper house Senate. Authorities are concerned that these nationals will come
back and commit attacks on home turf. SourceAgence France Presse

New Traffic Law Takes Effect as Basbous Says it Aims to
'End Road Tragedies'
Naharnet /A new traffic law has taken effect on Wednesday despite concerns among
the people over the high fines against violations. Internal Security Forces
chief Ibrahim Basbous sought to appease fears by stressing that the law is aimed
“ending the tragedies on the road and ensuring the safety of the people,”
reported the daily An Nahar on Wednesday. “It is the beginning, not the end,” he
declared, while explaining that it will be adopted in phases that will take
around two months to be completely in effect. Awareness campaigns will be
carried out during this period to shed light on the law in order to ease the
people's concerns. “They should adhere to the law out of their convictions, not
fear, because it protects them,” Basbous explained. “Our goal is not to issue
fines, but successfully respect the law,” he stressed. “The members of the ISF
are working tirelessly to implement all laws,” he added. Meanwhile, Interior
Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq hoped to al-Mustaqbal daily that the people will
respect the law “out of their faith in the state.” “It was adopted to save their
lives, not raise taxes,” he remarked. The controversial law, which angered
Lebanese citizens due to the high fines, is set to target major traffic
offenses. It was adopted by the parliament in 2012. NGOs had hoped that the
implementation of the new law would reduce the soaring traffic accidents across
the country. According to YASA, more than 840 people are killed in road
accidents every year and more than ten thousand are injured.

Yemen Huthis Demand Complete End to Attacks, Seek Talks
amid New Raids
Naharnet/Shiite rebels in Yemen on Wednesday demanded a complete end to attacks
by a Saudi-led coalition as a condition for U.N.-sponsored talks, a day after
the alliance declared an end to the first phase of its operations. "We demand,
after a complete end to the aggression against Yemen and the lifting of the
blockade, to resume political dialogue... under the sponsorship of the United
Nations," Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for the Huthi rebels, said in a
statement. Saudi-led warplanes launched new strikes Wednesday on rebel positions
in Yemen's third city Taez after the coalition had warned it stood ready to
counter any advance by the rebels and their allies. The Huthi rebels'
spokesman praised the United Nations' "positive efforts and its declared support
for national dialogue."
His remarks came despite the U.N. Security Council's adoption last week of a
resolution that slapped sanctions on the rebels and demanded they immediately
withdraw from territory seized. The U.N. had sponsored a Gulf-brokered peace
deal that eased former president Ali Abdullah Saleh out of office in February
2012, ending a year of nationwide bloody protests against his three decades of
iron-fisted rule. But the U.N. envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, resigned last week
after he lost Gulf countries' support, according to diplomats.
Meanwhile, ground fighting between the rebels and forces loyal to exiled
President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi raged on in a string of battleground towns,
including the second city of Aden as well as Taez, in a blow to U.S.-led calls
for renewed peace talks.
In Taez, the rebels took advantage of the lull in air strikes to overrun the
headquarters of the 35th Armoured Brigade, loyal to Hadi, which they had
besieged for nearly a week, an army officer said. The Saudi-led coalition hit
back with air strikes against rebel positions inside the captured camp and
elsewhere in the city. The fighting left "dozens dead and wounded", the officer
told AFP.
The World Health Organization says at least 944 people have been killed in Yemen
since March 19 and there were calls from all sides for the urgent delivery of
humanitarian aid. Riyadh said the strikes, which it launched on March 26 as the
rebels closed in on Hadi's last refuge in Aden, had succeeded in eliminating the
threat posed to Saudi Arabia and its neighbours by the rebels' air and missile
capabilities. But rebel forces remain in control of the capital Sanaa and
swathes of the country and Hadi is still in exile in Riyadh, where he fled when
the raids began. The coalition said its operations would now enter a political
phase with the focus on the resumption of talks, aid deliveries and "fighting
terrorism".
- Qaida threat -
Al-Qaida's Yemen branch, regarded by Washington as its most dangerous, has taken
advantage of the air war and ground fighting between the rebels and Hadi
loyalists to consolidate its grip on Hadramawt province in the southeast. Seven
suspected al-Qaida militants were killed in an apparent U.S. drone strike on the
provincial capital Mukalla, which the jihadists overran earlier this month,
witnesses and a local official said. U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has
acknowledged that al-Qaida is gaining ground but has vowed that the longstanding
U.S. drone war will go on. Washington welcomed the end of the Saudi-led air
campaign to which it had given intelligence and logistical support. "The United
States welcomes today's announcement by the government of Saudi Arabia and its
coalition partners of the conclusion of Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen,"
National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey told AFP. "We continue to
support the resumption of a UN-facilitated political process and the
facilitation of humanitarian assistance."
- Talks calls -
U.N.-brokered talks between the warring parties broke down in February when Hadi
fled to Aden after the Huthis seized power in the capital. Hadi's ousted
predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has provided key support to the Shiite
rebels, said he hoped the halt to the air war would lead to a return to
dialogue. "We hope that everyone will cooperate to return to dialogue, to find
solutions other than placing losing bets that are wrong and costly," he said.
Army units which remained loyal to Saleh after his ouster in 2012 following a
bloody year-long uprising have provided crucial support to the rebels in their
advance across much of the country. In an apparent goodwill gesture, the rebels
freed three top commanders -- including the defense minister and a brother of
Hadi -- whom it had captured during the fighting over the past month, mediators
said. Iran offered its help in bringing the sides back to the negotiating
table. "Positive developments in Yemen should be followed by urgent humanitarian
assistance, intra-Yemeni dialogue and broad-based govt. Ready to help," Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted from New York. In a televised speech from
his refuge in Riyadh, Hadi thanked the coalition for its support and refused to
give up hope of returning from exile. "We will soon return to our homeland, to
Aden and Sanaa," he said.
He called on all sides to work to implement a resolution adopted by the U.N.
Security Council last week which imposed an arms embargo on the rebels but
"which paves the way for positive and effective dialogue."
Agence France Presse
US Yemen ceasefire bid founders as Saudis resume air strikes, Iranian warships
on course for Gulf of Aden
DEBKAfile Special Report April 22, 2015
Just hours after halting military operations in Yemen, Saudi Arabia Wednesday,
April 22 resumed its air strikes, bombing pro-Iranian Houthi rebel positions
southwest of Taiz, after they seized a brigade base from forces loyal to
fugitive President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. debkafile’s military sources report
that the Saudi-led coalition went back on a promise published Tuesday to shift
its focus from military action to peace talks after Houthi rebels opted out of
the ceasefire the Obama administration was trying to broker between Riyadh and
Tehran. Tehran further refrained from ordering its warships to turn around and
told them to stay on course for the Gulf of Aden opposite Yemen.
debkafile reported earlier Wednesday:
Wide overnight predictions of a Yemen ceasefire coming out of US mediation
between Iran and Saudi Arabia were unfulfilled by Wednesday, April 22. All that
happened was Saudi Arabia’s termination of its air strikes against the
Iran-backed Houthi rebels – but not its sea and air blockade of the country. The
rebels made it clear that for them, the war goes on. From Washington, US
President Barack Obama warned Tehran against delivering weapons to Yemen that
could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region. Speaking in a
televised interview on MSNBC's "Hardball,” the president said: "What we've said
to them is that 'if there are weapons delivered to factions within Yemen that
could threaten navigation, that's a problem.'”
He was referring to the Iranian buildup of nine vessels, some carrying weapons,
and warning that US warships were deploying to defend international navigation
in the Gulf of Aden and the strategic Strait of Bab el-Mandeb off the shores of
Yemen.
debkafile reported earlier::
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolllahian said Tuesday night,
April 21, that Tehran is optimistic that ‘in the coming hours we shall see a
halt to military attacks in Yemen.”
He did not say whether the Saudi Arabia had accepted a ceasefire after three
weeks of air strikes, or its targets, the Houthi rebels and their Yemeni army
allies – or both. Their acceptance would terminate the Yemen civil war.
Earlier Tuesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest tried to play down the
danger of a collision between a US naval strike force led by the USS Theodore
Roosevelt aircraft carrier and an Iranian naval convoy believed to be carrying
arms for the Houthis. Both were due to arrive in the Gulf of Aden opposite the
Yemeni shore. Earnest said the US fleet’s mission was “to ensure the free flow
of commerce” i.e. the freedom of navigation through the Gulf of Aden and Strait
of Bab El-Mandeb.
He did not repeat an earlier statement by US defense officials that The
Roosevelt carrier, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and other
accompanying warships had been sent to pre-empt any attempt by the Iranian
vessels to unload weapons for the Houthis - in violation of a UN Security
Council resolution.
Pentagon officials said an Iranian convoy of nine cargo ships had reached
international waters in the Gulf of Aden, but that to their knowledge, the US
and Iranian ships had not yet seen each other or made any contact.
The tone coming from the White House towards the end of the day was that the US
naval buildup opposite Yemen was intended to give diplomacy a military boost,
rather than confront the Iranian fleet.
Reports from Riyadh likewise pointed to active diplomacy afoot for ending the
violence in Yemen.
A statement read out on Saudi-owned Arabiya TV announced the end of the
kingdom’s military operation against the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“The alliance had achieved its goals in Yemen through the “Storm of Resolve”
campaign and would now begin a new operation called “Restoring Hope.”
This operation, the statement said, would focus on security at home and
counter-terrorism, aid and a political solution in Yemen. At the same time,
debkafile’s Gulf sources report the same TV channel carried the opposite message
from Riyadh:
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Abdulaziz has ordered the Kingdom’s National Guard to
join the military campaign in Yemen, said another communique. Minister of the
Saudi National Guard Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah said his forces are on high
alert and are ready to take part in Operation Storm of Resolve, a Saudi-led
coalition of 10 states battling the advance of the Iran-backed rebels. The Saudi
National Guard is a strong armed force, superior to and better equipped than the
Saudi national army. It would provide a solid increment for the Saudi air
strikes in Yemen. Behind this cloud of apparent contradictions hovering over the
Yemen conflict Tuesday, is an Obama administration bid to broker the contest
between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and bring about a ceasefire. The various parties
are meanwhile jockeying for advantageous positions without surrendering their
options. If the bid is successful, a truce may be announced in the Yemen war in
the coming hours, but it is still hanging fire.

Saudi-led campaign against Yemen rebels enters new phase
Ynetnews /Associated Press, Reuters/April 22/15/Spokesman says airstrikes by coalition of Sunni Arab Gulf nations have achieved
objectives of current campaign and focus will now turn to rebuilding.
A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition targeting rebels in Yemen said Tuesday
that the so-called "Decisive Storm" campaign is over, but that allies will
launch a new phase aimed at preventing the rebels from operating.
Speaking at a news conference in Riyadh on Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri
said the objectives of the campaign have been met and that it would cease at
midnight.
He said the rebels no longer pose a danger to civilians and that the new phase,
called "Renewal of Hope" would focus on rebuilding the country while
interdicting the rebels.
"The coalition will continue to prevent the movement of Houthi militias from
moving or undertaking any operations inside Yemen," Asiri told reporters.
"To implement this we will continue to have our operation," he said. "Inside a
city like Aden we will continue to protect civilians to prevent these militias
from sustaining their operations," he said, referring to the southern port city
which has seen fierce fighting in recent weeks.
The announcement suggests military action by the Sunni Muslim states against the
Iran-allied rebels may continue despite the announcement earlier of an end to
the almost month-long military campaign.
Asiri did not rule out future airstrikes against the Houthi rebels.
In remarks Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the airstrikes in
Yemen were prompted by the Sunni kingdom's failures elsewhere, causing what he
called a "mental imbalance."Speaking to reporters before heading to Indonesia, Rouhani mocked Saudi Arabia
by calling it a country with dashed dreams in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
"All the failures have accumulated and caused mental and emotional imbalance for
that country," Rouhani said.
The remarks came a day after the US Navy said aircraft carrier USS Theodore
Roosevelt was steaming toward the waters off Yemen to beef up security and join
other American ships that are prepared to intercept any Iranian vessels carrying
weapons to the Houthis.
The deployment comes after a UN Security Council resolution last week imposed an
arms embargo on Houthi leaders.

Inside the Mind of a Jihadist
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute
April 22, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5587/jihadist-mind
"There is global unanimity that jihad is an obligation." — Mohamed Hamdouch.
"My convictions emanate from what Allah said: You must kill the non-believers,
regardless of whether they are Muslims or atheists." — Mohamed Hamdouch.
"Beheading is permitted in Islam. I recommend you read the Suras [chapters] of
Al-Anfal (8), At-Tawbah (9) and Mohammed (47)." — Mohamed Hamdouch.
"I swear by the name of Allah, this is not violence. We are defending our
religion." — Mohamed Hamdouch.
A Spanish woman married to a Moroccan jihadist has given birth to the first
Spanish citizen born in the Islamic State.
The child's father, 28-year-old Mohamed Hamdouch, is notorious for his
exceptional brutality and cruelty both on and off the battlefield. He is known
in Spain as the "Beheader of Castillejas," in recognition of his penchant for
posting photographs of himself smiling while holding the decapitated heads of
Syrian soldiers.
The child's mother is Asia Ahmed Mohamed, a native of the North African Spanish
exclave of Ceuta. She married Hamdouch after he gave her a suicide vest as a
dowry.
Spanish nationality law stipulates that individuals born of a Spanish parent are
Spaniards by birth, including those born in the Islamic State. At last count,
more than 100 Spanish citizens have joined the Islamic State, including at least
three women, which suggests that more Spanish "jihadi babies" may be on the way.
A new report by Spanish investigative journalist José María Gil Garre, who
conducted a series of exclusive interviews with Hamdouch over the past year,
offers a disturbing glimpse into the religious and ideological mindset of
Hamdouch and his wife, whose commitment to jihad appear to be complete and
total.
The report conveys a sense of the challenge ahead for Spain and other Western
countries when faced with a generation of Western passport-holding jihadi
parents who are — presumably — inculcating their "Western" children with
fundamentally anti-Western values.
The report also shows how Western jihadists are justifying their brutality based
on clear instructions found in the Koran and other Islamic writings. As such,
the report effectively demolishes claims by U.S. President Barack Obama and
other Western leaders that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam.
Garre describes Hamdouch as one of the "most dark and contemptible" jihadists
alive today who "consistently posts photographs of himself waving decapitated
heads, crucifying men and later decapitating them, and videos showing tortures
and murders of the utmost cruelty."
Spanish investigative journalist José María Gil Garre (left) conducted a series
of exclusive interviews with the jihadist Mohamed Hamdouch (right) over the past
year, offering a disturbing glimpse into the religious and ideological mindset
of Hamdouch and his wife.
Hamdouch — whose aliases are Abu Tasnim Al Magribi, Kokito Castillejas and
Kokito Yu — hails from a poverty-stricken town in northern Morocco called Fnideq
(Castillejas in Spanish) that is situated just two kilometers from Ceuta (which
is Spanish territory).
Hamdouch is believed to have been recruited by Mustafá Maya Amaya, a Spanish
convert to Islam who was born in Belgium but eventually settled in Melilla,
another Spanish exclave in North Africa. Amaya was arrested in March 2014.
According to his parents, Hamdouch, who arrived in Syria in 2013, was
radicalized through the Internet, where he discovered Takfirism, an offshoot of
Salafism which is committed to an unwaveringly literal interpretation of the
Koran and which condones acts of extreme violence to re-create the Islamic
Caliphate.
In his report, Garre records the contents an interview in which he asked
Hamdouch about the decapitations. Hamdouch replied:
"We have not come to kill civilians or Muslims. On the contrary, we have come to
help Syrian Muslims and to ensure that our religion and our brothers triumph. We
have come to implement Sharia law — it is our constitution — adopting a model of
the Caliphate as according to the Prophet Mohammed. These decapitated heads
belong to traitors and agents of the United States and Al Salul [a derogatory
term for Saudi royalists], who receive help from the United States and countries
in Europe and the Persian Gulf to ensure that the Islamic State does not extend
in Iraq, Sham [greater Syria] and soon in Rome. We are fighting in Syria, but
our eyes are fixed on Palestine."
In another interview, Hamdouch elaborated:
"I am a Muslim. The first thing you need to do is learn. Islam is the best of
all religions. Beheading is permitted in Islam. I recommend you read the Suras
[chapters] of Al-Anfal (8), At-Tawbah (9) and Mohammed (47). If you read these
Suras, you will see that Allah has authorized us to behead a certain category of
individuals such as apostates and traitors, such as the ones we have executed."
Hamdouch added:
"My convictions emanate from what Allah said: You must kill the non-believers,
regardless of whether they are Muslims or atheists. We fight against all
unbelievers, except for those who revert to Islam. These we will pardon because
Allah is forgiving and merciful. Nevertheless, we will fight against anyone who
opposes us, we will not pardon them. We will kill them immediately."
Garre asked Hamdouch to comment on the notion that Islam does not condone the
violence being perpetrated in Syria. Hamdouch replied:
"I swear by the name of Allah, this is not violence. We are defending our
religion. The news media is against us. I swear by Allah, we are the most gentle
and forgiving. We decided to fight so that there would be no more injustice. I
am not sure if you know this, but the Islamic State has liberated thousands of
prisoners, among them women, children and the elderly. Moreover, many women were
raped in the prisons by Shiites and as a result they gave birth in the prisons."
In another interview, Hamdouch cited Sura 9:24 of the Koran, which calls on all
Muslims, men and women, to join the jihad. He said:
"There is global unanimity that jihad is an obligation, there is no need to
obtain permission from parents. Wives are also obligated to offer themselves for
jihad, without authorization from her spouse."
When Garre asked Hamdouch about the Islamic State's future goals, Hamdouch again
stressed the primacy of "liberating" Palestine. "We are now focused on
Palestine, later Europe and then the whole world, if Allah wills it."
When asked if he planned to return to Morocco, Hamdouch said:
"Yes! I want to return. Not to live there, but to conquer. And not just Morocco,
but the entire world. These are not my words, but the words of the prophet.
Listen! This is my religion and I am very conscious of it. This is our Koran,
which we consider to be our constitution. The fourth verse of the Sura of
Mohammed states: 'So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks
until you have subdued them. Therefore, slay them with all your strength.'"
After photographs emerged of Hamdouch waving the decapitated heads of five
Syrian soldiers, Garre emailed Hamdouch.
Garre: "Kokito, don't you want to talk to me? I've seen a photo of you with the
decapitated heads of several men. You are a criminal. Your destiny will be in
hell. Are you afraid to talk, or what?
Hamdouch: "I fear no one except for Allah! By means of terrorism we are going to
reach you in Spain. We will also reach the United States."
Hamdouch: "You have two options. Convert to Islam, and in this case you will be
honored, or pay the tax of the humiliated [jizya]. If you refuse to accept one
of these two options, our future relations will be bloody. It will be a relation
that ends in your beheading."
Garre: "You are a terrorist. You are a criminal. You are an apostate."
Hamdouch: "And Israel is not terrorist? You will see that in the future Israel
will be erased from the map of the world! First we will destroy all of those who
protect Israel, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. These countries
are protecting Israel. They are Israeli dogs and have sold out Palestine."
According to Garre, Hamdouch met his wife Asia through social media while she
was trying to obtain information about her 19-year-old brother, Younes Ahmed
Mohamed, who was killed on the battlefield, apparently sometime in early 2014.
Hamdouch told her that her brother had died as a suicide bomber.
Asia and Hamdouch eventually were married by means of a religious ceremony in
which she was physically present in Ceuta and he was in Syria. The marriage was
apparently validated in Spain by means of a power of attorney. According to
Garre, Asia arrived in Syria in June 2014 and the two settled down in al-Atareb,
a strategic town in northern Syria. She gave birth to a son on March 15, 2015.
He is the first Spanish citizen born in the Islamic State.
Garre asked Hamdouch if it is true that he gave his wife a suicide vest.
Hamdouch replied: "Yes, it is true. The dowry was a suicide vest. It is what my
wife requested."
When asked if his wife was prepared to use the vest, Hamdouch said: "I hope that
Allah helps her. In any event, we are prepared for an operation because we find
ourselves in a land of war and treason. I hope Allah helps us to keep our
footsteps firm."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. He is
also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo de Estudios
Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.
Is U.S. Israel's Ally "When It Matters"?
Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone Institute.
April 22, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5609/israel-us-ally
When, exactly, does it matter? Who decides? Apparently not Israel.
Ambassador Samantha Power's testimony may have completed the transition of the
United States from Israel's ally... to an arbiter between Israel and those who
seek to erase it.
The "peace process," first codified in the Oslo accords, commits Israel and the
Palestinians to resolve differences bilaterally, not through the dictates of a
third party or organization.
Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, says the U.S. will no
longer automatically exercise its veto in the UN Security Council to protect
Israel.
In testimony before the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee, Power specifically declined to rule out support for
resolutions on Palestinian statehood or the "peace process." "We will look to
see what will advance Israel's security and what will advance peace in the
region... Our objective as an administration is what can we do to defuse
tensions, what will it take to get those negotiations back on track."
When Committee members expressed skepticism, she replied, "We will continue to
work extremely closely with Israel in New York. As you know well we have a
record of standing when it matters with Israel."
When, exactly, does it matter? Who decides? Apparently not Israel.
Amb. Power's testimony may have completed the transition of the U.S. from
Israel's ally in its quest for legitimacy and security in the historic homeland
of the Jewish people, to an arbiter between Israel and those who seek to erase
it. Amb. Power appears also to have completed the transition of Israel -- in the
eyes of the U.S. government -- from the party whose legitimacy and permanence in
the Middle East remains challenged by all but Egypt and Jordan, to the country
that bears an obligation to "fix" the problems that animate its enemies.
Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, recently stated that the
U.S. will no longer automatically exercise its veto in the UN Security Council
to protect Israel. (Image source: Center for Strategic & International Studies)
The "peace process," first codified in the Oslo Accords, commits Israel and the
Palestinians to resolve differences bilaterally, not through the dictates of a
third party or organization. No one thought it would be easy, but successive
U.S. administrations ensured that the UN -- which Israel finds hopelessly biased
against its interests -- would not have veto power or enforcement power. Now it
may. Power and the U.S. have thrown in the towel on an issue that "matters" to
Israel.
In 2014, the Palestinians stepped out of Oslo and joined a number of UN bodies
and commissions, including several for which the PA would immediately be deemed
ineligible if the UN were a serious institution -- particularly as the
Palestinian Authority (PA) is in, at least on paper, a "unity government" with
Hamas.
Conventions "on the involvement of children in armed conflict," "against
torture," "on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women,"
"against corruption," and "on the international covenant on civil and political
rights" have been signed by representatives of a corrupt, dictatorial regime
that violates all of them.
In a more consequential move, at the end of 2014, the Palestinians filed to join
the International Criminal Court (ICC), and are set to become a member this
month. The Obama Administration opposed both sets of actions and a large
bipartisan majority of the Senate supports a cutoff of U.S. funding to the PA if
it supports an ICC war crimes investigation of Israel. But assured of
overwhelming votes in the General Assembly, and fairly certain of Security
Council support if the U.S. does not exercise its veto, PA officials claim the
Palestinians have a right to international representation regardless of U.S.
disapproval or the language of Oslo.
Amb. Power, now, appears to agree. But Israel can no longer be assured that the
U.S. will support either a key provision of Oslo, or its own position: that
internationalization of the conflict by the Palestinians is a mistake, and an
affront to American diplomacy. She is, in this, a faithful representative of the
current administration.
The President has expressed his belief that Israel is a secure party to whom,
perhaps, this should not matter. While Hamas was firing rockets into civilian
communities across the Jewish State last summer, the President said:
"I don't worry about Israel's survival. ... I think the question really is how
does Israel survive? And how can you create a State of Israel that maintains its
democratic and civic traditions? How can you preserve a Jewish state that is
also reflective of the best values of those who founded Israel? And, in order to
do that, it has consistently been my belief that you have to find a way to live
side by side in peace with Palestinians... You [Israel] have to recognize that
they have legitimate claims, and this is their land and neighborhood as well."
And this, in turn, reflects Secretary of State Kerry's apparent belief that
Israel's prosperity is an impediment to "peace." On a visit to Israel in May
2013, he said, "I think there is an opportunity [for peace], but for many
reasons it's not on the tips of everyone's tongue. People in Israel aren't
waking up every day and wondering if tomorrow if there will be peace because
there is a sense of security and a sense of accomplishment and of prosperity."
Kerry appears not to think peace "mattered" to Israel.
A year ago, Secretary Kerry told an audience at the White House, "One of the
lynchpins of the peace process is the separation of Israel's security assurances
from the general negotiations." Security for Israel would be guaranteed in a
"separate agreement" with the U.S., he said. This, of course, would spell the
end of the promise to Israel of UN Resolution 242, in which the Arab states were
handed the obligation to provide Israel with "secure and recognized boundaries
free from threats or acts of force," and "termination of all claims or states of
belligerency."
UN Resolution 242, apparently, is another one of those things that doesn't
"matter."
Amb. Power's comments appear to be a full and faithful rendering of the policies
of her boss at the State Department and his boss in the White House: when they
find something that "matters" to them, they will do what they think is
appropriate. What matters to Israel, however, seems to be a different issue
altogether.

Operation ‘Restoring Hope’ and
securing Yemen’s future
Andrew Bowen/Al Arabiya
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
While the Saudi-led Operation “Decisive Storm” achieved its objectives, this new
phase of this campaign to restore the sovereignty of Yemen’s government will
require concerted diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and military investment.
After a month of sustained military operations, “Operation Decisive Storm”
successfully concluded yesterday after achieving its two principal objectives:
preventing the Iranian sponsored Houthi insurgency from establishing an
illegitimate government in Yemen at the expense of the country’s legitimately
recognized government and preventing Yemen from becoming a point from which the
Houthis could threaten the security and stability of Saudi Arabia and its Arab
neighbors.
Under the leadership of King Salman, this multi-national coalition demonstrated
the Arab League’s ability to come together and collectively respond against
regional security threats. Its air campaign successfully eliminated the Houthi
militia’s ability to seriously threaten the security and stability of the
Arabian Peninsula through the elimination of advanced weaponry and securing
Yemen’s airspace. King Salman ordered yesterday as well the deployment of The
National Guard to help further secure the long Saudi border with Yemen from
further attempts by Houthi militants to threaten the Kingdom’s security. Also,
Egypt’s navy, along with assistance from the U.S. Navy, has blockaded Yemen’s
territorial waters to both ensure that outside states such as Iran don’t
interfere in Yemen’s sovereignty and to prevent the Houthis from disrupting
commerce through the Suez Canal.
Operation “Decisive Storm” laid the foundation for the most challenging phase of
this multi-national effort to support Yemen’s future
After a much-concerted diplomatic effort, this broad coalition persuaded the
U.N. Security Council to unanimously support with an abstention from Russia an
arms embargo on Yemen’s non-governmental militias. The Operation also put
pressure on Iran to support a peace process that would bring the Houthis to the
table to meaningfully negotiate. At the time of writing, reports indicate that
an agreement between Yemen’s political parties is much closer than it was before
this Operation began. Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose military units
are aligned with the Houthis, has shown signs as well that he would prefer a
political settlement.
While some commentators have been quick to criticize this military operation on
the basis that the campaign hasn’t led to the re-establishment of the Yemeni
government in Sanaa, it would be mistake to confuse the limited objectives of
Operation “Decisive Storm”- which focused on eliminating the Houthis’ ability to
monopolize Yemen’s political future and their ability threaten the security
mainly of Saudi Arabia and the GCC- with the broader goal of supporting the
restoration of Yemen’s sovereignty.
Three critical areas
Operation “Decisive Storm” laid the foundation importantly for the most
challenging phase of this multi-national effort to support Yemen’s future.
Announced yesterday, Operation “Restoring Hope” focuses on three critical areas:
supporting a U.N. political process to restore a legitimate government and
ensure its long-term sovereignty, providing humanitarian assistance to Yemeni
citizens who have faced the severe hardship of months of violence and conflict,
and providing assistance in combatting terrorism.
While the first phase of the Coalition’s efforts weighted heavily on the use of
military operations, this new phase focuses on employing military, diplomatic,
economic, and humanitarian tools to secure Yemen’s long-term stability. In all
of these areas, the Arab League and its global partners including the U.S. will
need to come together to robustly support Yemen’s transition. It will be the
most challenging phase of the Coalition’s efforts because the political
differences remain deep on the ground, the humanitarian situation is grave,
terrorism remains a substantial challenge, and the country’s economy is broken.
Political settlement
While there are signs that the different political and armed parties are moving
closer to seeking a political settlement, deep differences still remain between
President Hadi, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the Houthi insurgency
(to name only a few of the contesting parties) which may lead to further spikes
of violence. In addition to their differences, this violence has benefited
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who has deepened their position in the South
and will become increasingly harder to dislodge. Until a political solution is
reached, the humanitarian situation will remain severe, the country’s economy
will continue to flounder, and terrorism will still be a challenge.
Supporting Operation “Restoring Hope” will require a sustained, concerted effort
for the foreseeable future. A political settlement is only the first step
towards securing Yemen’s long-term stability and sovereignty. In order to
address Yemen’s deepening humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by a failing economy
and violence, which will threaten the longevity of any future political
settlement, these states will need to make a long-term commitment to rebuilding
the state which offers the Yemeni people a future. Failing to do so will only
lead to further violence and instability, which will continue to threaten the
stability of the region. This new ambitious operation, though, is an important
collective step to support Yemen’s future and its people.

Saudi Arabia's 'Inexperienced
Youngster'
Simon Henderson/Washington Institute
April 21, 2015
As Prince Muhammad bin Salman's proactive approach to regional affairs becomes
clearer, the novice defense minister could lead the kingdom to overreach in
Yemen.
Earlier today, Saudi Arabia announced that it has ended its airstrikes in Yemen
because the heavy weapons and ballistic missiles threatening the kingdom have
been destroyed. The fighting had appeared to be stalemated for at least the past
two weeks. Although the announced outcome is being depicted as a military
success, it is unclear how it fits into a Saudi strategy to reinstate the
government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, currently in exile in Riyadh,
though the statement spoke of a political solution.
A key Saudi decisionmaker on the matter is one of King Salman's younger sons,
Prince Muhammad, who was appointed defense minister in January. The outcome of
the crisis, which saw the deployment of Saudi naval and army units, could make
or break his career and perhaps even define his father's legacy.
When Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called Saudi Arabia's new leaders
"inexperienced youngsters" in an April 9 speech, there was little doubt he was
referring at least in part to Muhammad. The prince has shot to prominence since
his father succeeded the late King Abdullah in January. Previously the head of
his father's court when Salman was crown prince, MbS (as he is widely known) now
runs the Defense Ministry, the royal court, and the newly formed Economic and
Development Affairs Council, in addition to being a member of the Political and
Security Affairs Council, another key decisionmaking body.
In many respects MbS is the face of Saudi Arabia's month-long operation in
Yemen, even outshining his elder cousin, Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef
(a.k.a. MbN), the interior minister and chair of the Political and Security
Affairs Council. Over the past week alone, he has visited Bahrain to invite King
Hamad to Riyadh, and Cairo for talks with President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
Meanwhile, Saudi media has shown photographs of him in separate meetings with
CENTCOM commander Gen. Lloyd Austin III, U.S. ambassador Joseph Westphal, and
former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Although MbS is clearly acquiring a great deal of on-the-job experience, much
speculation continues about his age. King Salman, seventy-nine this year, has
fathered at least twelve sons by three wives. MbS is the oldest son from the
third wife. Reports of his birthdate vary from 1980 to 1985, with an outlier of
1988, making him possibly as young as twenty-seven. A more definitive number is
elusive: the website of the Saudi embassy in Washington gives no birth year for
him in its listing of the Saudi Council of Ministers.
Whatever his age, MbS has already developed a reputation as a ruthless political
operator. When his father became defense minister in late 2011, MbS used his
position as head of Salman's court to undermine a series of deputy defense
ministers. The post was held by four different princes between April 2013 and
June 2014, since when it has been vacant. Similarly, as chair of the Economic
and Development Affairs Council, he is seen as being responsible for the firing
of the housing and health ministers in the past two months, apparently for
administrative incompetence.
The prince's meteoric rise is attributed to his close relationship with his
father, who appears to dote on him. The king seems to have devised a special
career path for Muhammad. Although some of Salman's older sons went to
universities in the United States or Britain, Muhammad went to King Saud
University in Riyadh, where he studied law. His older half-brothers include
Sultan (age 58), the former astronaut who is in charge of tourism, and Abdulaziz
(55), who has spent his career at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral
Resources and was promoted to deputy minister in January. Both now find
themselves subordinate to their younger brother by virtue of his council
chairmanship. Staying close to his father has allowed Muhammad to become a key
aide over the years, particularly as Salman's health has deteriorated -- today,
the king uses a walking stick and can look puzzled during his often hectic
schedule of meetings with visiting dignitaries.
Ayatollah Khamenei's barbed comments earlier this month included a tweet
asserting that Saudi foreign policy has changed from "composure" to "barbarism,"
an apparent reference to the kingdom's more proactive approach under Salman
compared to the caution seen under previous kings. However it is characterized,
the shift would appear to reflect MbS's regional view. Last month he told a
visiting U.S. congressional delegation that "Iran can't be trusted," and he
asked why Washington was negotiating with the Iranians on the nuclear issue when
they are responsible for growing tensions in the Middle East. And earlier this
month, he met with Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the latter's
visit to Riyadh -- a trip that also included meetings with Foreign Minister Saud
al-Faisal, who has held the post for forty years, and MbN, who has been the
point man for bilateral counterterrorism discussions for at least ten years.
When the author asked Blinken at an April 15 forum what he made of MbS in view
of Khamenei's insults, he described the prince as "extremely knowledgeable,
focused, and engaged," saying "we had a very good exchange." None of these
comments suggest, in the cautious vocabulary of diplomacy, that there was much
agreement with the young defense minister's positions.
Despite almost daily Saudi communiques depicting successes in the Yemen conflict
and widespread public support, the reality suggests little movement on the
ground: the Iran-linked Houthis are unable to gain full control of the southern
port city of Aden, and supporters of President Hadi are too weak to overcome
Houthi domination of the capital and other major towns. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda in
the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has freedom of operation in a sizable swath of the
country to the east of the Sana-to-Aden axis. Washington and the international
community are trying to reestablish a diplomatic process, but the task may have
been set back last week when the UN mediator resigned. U.S. operational support
is so far limited to intelligence transfers, targeting information, inflight
refueling, and a naval presence that is about to be boosted by the arrival of a
carrier task force.
It is unclear whether MbS views the situation as ripe for a diplomatic outcome
now that airstrikes have been halted. Instead, he may hope that he can double
down and use army and perhaps naval units to defeat the Houthis militarily.
Despite another new announcement regarding further National Guard involvement, a
full-scale land invasion has seemed increasingly unlikely, especially given
Pakistan's decision not to commit military forces to the operation and Egypt's
evident reluctance to transform its diplomatic support into overt military
assistance. His youth aside, MbS may have a crucial voice in determining
Riyadh's next steps because of his status as defense minister and de facto
commander of the army, navy, and air force. MbN may have less influence on the
matter; although his Interior Ministry forces are numerous, they are lightly
armed, and he is not a son of the king. Prince Mitab bin Abdullah, son to the
late king, heads the Saudi Arabian National Guard; perhaps significantly, he sat
next to MbN at today's meeting of the Political and Security Affairs Council.
Many observers were surprised when MbS rocketed to prominence in January rather
than his half-brother Prince Faisal bin Salman (44), who instead was appointed
governor of Medina province. Faisal's 2003 book, based on his Oxford doctoral
dissertation about Iranian influence in the Persian Gulf, was an obvious
credential for taking on a foreign policy role in his father's court. Instead,
while the Yemen intervention remains popular at home, the outside world watches
as a young novice struggles to win respect in a conflict whose previous episodes
have seldom produced a clear result, and which is increasingly seen as a proxy
war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The U.S. interest is for Riyadh to avoid the embarrassment of overreaching
itself. Discreet diplomacy, combined with the pressure of less-than-timely
replacement of expended munitions or spare parts, may have prompted the decision
to halt airstrikes, which were causing mounting civilian casualties. There
remains the risk of direct confrontation with Iran, at least at sea. In most
other countries, a military leader or defense minister who does not achieve a
clear outcome would be a political casualty. If that does not happen in Saudi
Arabia, then King Salman may find himself under pressure from senior princes
seeking more fundamental change.
**Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy
Program at The Washington Institute.

Decisive Storm restores hope to
Yemen’s people
Salman Aldosary/Asharq Alawsat
Wednesday, 22 Apr, 2015
It took Operation Decisive Storm, launched on March 26, a total of 28 days to
achieve its declared goals. The coalition member states said from day one and
throughout the war, up until Tuesday when the end of the operation was
announced, that the war in Yemen is not an end in itself but a means to protect
Yemen’s legitimate and internationally recognized President Abd Rabbuh Mansur
Hadi, and deter the Houthi militias and remove their threat to neighboring
countries. In fact, the coalition members have not merely concluded the military
operation now that its goals have been achieved, but have also demonstrated
commitment to the Yemeni people by maintaining support through an economic and
humanitarian project they declared on Tuesday and dubbed Operation Restoring
Hope. Indeed, no one likes wars or even to support them, but tell me of another
coalition that has deterred with its left hand and built with its right.
It was obvious throughout Operation Decisive Storm how the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) states were following a diplomatic strategy that went in line with
the military strikes, so that once the airstrikes achieved their projected goals
the circumstances would be suitable for Yemeni political factions to return to
the negotiating table. This was achieved thanks to the GCC’s colossal efforts
that led to the issuance of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, despite the
many obstacles that almost impeded it on several occasions. This time, the
dialogue of course will not be overseen by the Houthi putschists whose military
coup is now a thing of the past; rather, talks will be conducted in accordance
with the GCC initiative and its executive mechanism as well as the outcomes of
the National Dialogue Conference, points which serve as the only foundation for
any political dialogue in Yemen.
The ball is now in the court of the different political factions in Yemen, who
had left the entire scene open for the Houthi militia to dominate both
politically and militarily. Those very same powers who toppled Ali Abdullah
Saleh after 33 years in power stood by while the Houthis kept taking one bite
after another out of the Yemeni apple. Unfortunately, the majority of them seem
to have been playing a waiting game, in order to see in whose favor the scales
would tilt before they formulated their own positions, without any consideration
for the dark tunnel that awaited Yemen once the Houthis seized control of the
country. If only Yemen’s political parties could have forseen the catastrophe
that would be caused by the Houthi insurgents. The fact is, only a handful of
loyal Yemenis stood up to the Houthi coup and the insurgency.
Militarily speaking, and bearing in mind that Operation Decisive Storm has come
to an end, coalition forces will continue to impose aerial and naval control to
enable the legitimate authority to resume power. Up until now, and despite
leading their country into war, the Houthis have not been excluded from the
political process, since they are regarded as one of the main political factions
in Yemen. However, if the Houthis were to resume their insurgency and insist on
using force against the rest of the country’s political factions as well as
civilians, Operation Decisive Storm would do more than just deter them. They
also must realize that this opportunity will not last forever. They can either
refrain from seeking help from foreign powers and using military force, or they
will be excluded from the political process and treated as an illegal group.
This is especially so since their current political and military status is no
longer the same as it was prior to Operation Decisive Storm, which has succeeded
in destroying their military arsenal and cutting their links with Iran.
Iran will not stop harming the Yemeni people even if 100 Operation Decisive
Storms were to be launched. The Iranian regime will not be deterred unless its
supplies to the Houthis are cut and its interference in Yemen stopped once and
for all.

All the crazies are targeting Saudi Arabia
Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al Awsat
Wednesday, 22 Apr, 2015
The statements issued from Tehran recently, by senior and junior officials,
regarding Saudi Arabia can only be described as “panicked,” while the same goes
for the speeches and statements issued by Iran’s agents in the region, such as
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. However, a well-informed Lebanese source has
told me recently that there might be more behind Nasrallah’s latest speech.
The source told me that what has caused Nasrallah to lose his patience in this
manner and issue such unprecedented comments against Saudi Arabia following
Operation Decisive Storm is the rumor, that is rife throughout Beirut’s Southern
Suburbs, that Hezbollah is not just involved in the war in Syria and Yemen, but
is even on Saudi Arabia’s own borders. The claim is that Iran and its followers
are now in the ascendancy in the region, from Yemen to Iraq, and that Saudi
Arabia has its back against the wall. Operation Decisive Storm, according to
this false narrative, was nothing more than a last-ditch attempt to demonstrate
strength and repel the Iranian-led advance. This belief has led Iran, and
Nasrallah, to completely lose their minds, amid the belief that the Houthis’
control of Yemen is an important sign amid the retreat of Iran’s interests in
Syria.
This false reading of the situation demonstrates one thing clearly: every maniac
in the region is targeting Saudi Arabia, one way or another. Otherwise, what is
the difference between Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah? What is the difference between
Iran and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)? The answer is simple: they
are all trying to find a launchpad from which to target Saudi Arabia, after the
failure of all their efforts to infiltrate the Kingdom from within. This is
something that Iran, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, ISIS and other extremist group have
tried in the past, but all such attempts have met with resounding failure. For
all the region’s maniacs, Saudi Arabia represents a source of unparalleled
legitimacy.
Iran believes that targeting and overtaking Saudi Arabia will represent a
victory for Tehran’s project to “export the Khomeinist revolution” that is being
served by Hezbollah in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs. As for Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and
before them the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia represents a source of
religious legitimacy that would grant them the capability to practically take
over the region and the entire Islamic world. This is why Al-Qaeda has fought so
hard to secure its presence in Yemen—and the same goes for the Iranian regime
through its Houthi allies. The same even applies to former Yemeni president Ali
Abdullah Saleh, who believed that he could extort Riyadh’s rationality to remain
in power. However, ultimately Saleh’s reading of the situation was wrong, and
the same goes for Iran.
In reality, the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm struck a decisive blow
against Iran and its regional followers, and even Al-Qaeda. Without a doubt,
Decisive Storm struck a blow against all the maniacs of the region, militarily,
politically, and even in the media. These maniacs have now been exposed for the
world to see, and we have seen the political scene in Yemen and the region
change drastically as a result, because Saudi Arabia’s voice of reason is strong
enough to drown out all of the region’s crazies.

Border wars will determine Assad’s
fate
Michael Young/The Daily/Apr. 23, 2015
In recent months there has been much talk of a Hezbollah offensive in the
Qalamoun district of Syria. The expectation was that it would take place some
time in spring. However, there have been so signs of when, or if, this will
actually happen.
Last February Iran organized a pair of offensives in Syria – one in the north
around Aleppo, the other in the south. This signaled a strategy of neutralizing
Syria’s border areas and cutting off rebel supply lines from Turkey and Jordan.
A Qalamoun operation was viewed as applying the same logic.
The problem is that Iran’s plans went haywire. In the north the hostilities west
of Aleppo turned to the Iranians’ disadvantage, with heavy losses among those
fighting on behalf of the Assad regime, particularly Afghan Shiites. Within a
matter of weeks Bashar Assad’s enemies had counterattacked and captured Idlib, a
significant reversal for the Syrian regime and Tehran.
In the south a similar pattern soon developed. An Iranian-led offensive also
stalled. This was followed in subsequent weeks by the regime’s loss of Busra
al-Sham, and after that the last regime-controlled border crossing with Jordan
at Nassib.
In light of this, one wonders if Hezbollah’s calculations have not changed.
While the failures in Syria’s north and south make urgent a successful campaign
against the rebels, they also make it necessary for Hezbollah to avoid any
setbacks. For Iran an indecisive campaign in Qalamoun, after the other recent
losses, would be disastrous. It would create an impression that Iran and
Hezbollah can be beaten, at a time when the Syrian regime is vulnerable and
cannot readily mobilize military manpower.
This would be a valuable victory for Turkey and Jordan. By helping undermine
Iran, Assad and their allies along the border, both have protected their stakes
in Syria. They are unwilling to allow an expansion of Iranian influence up to
their borders with Syria – an attitude shared by Israel, which has imposed a red
line against Hezbollah and Iran operating on the Golan Heights. However, Lebanon
is a different matter. In recent months Hezbollah has carefully laid the
groundwork for an attack in Qalamoun by pushing the Lebanese Army into a border
interdiction effort. The Army, under the heading of “fighting terrorism,” has
obliged, with the help of Western countries that have sent arms and participated
in surveillance operations. That jihadi groups inside Qalamoun still hold
Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage has facilitated Hezbollah’s task of
portraying the battles there as an effort to combat extremist groups. Yet there
appear to be limits to what the Army is prepared to do. The Syrians and
Hezbollah have pushed for tighter coordination but the military command is not
eager to be drawn into the Syrian conflict, and does want to be perceived as
taking part in the Qalamoun campaign. It will try to limit its role to defensive
duties: seizing the high ground, blocking access across the border and
maintaining security among Syrian refugees, many of whom are related to the
Qalamoun combatants. Hezbollah and Iran, not to mention the Syrian armed forces,
have their work cut out for them in Qalamoun. The area is large and very
difficult to control. There is also much corruption among the Syrian forces. The
possibility that rebel groups and their jihadi allies will be able to send
reinforcements through Syrian lines cannot be ruled out. Hezbollah is reportedly
optimistic about its chances of defeating the rebels. Qalamoun is vital as it
straddles communication lines between Damascus and the Syrian coast, and if the
Assad regime is to reinforce itself that passage must be secured. But we’ve
often heard party officials sound upbeat about the direction of the Syrian
conflict, only to be blindsided by reality. Worse, Hezbollah must know better
than most the profound degradation of the Syrian Army and security forces, with
which relations are particularly tense. There can be no illusions within the
party about the ease of military action in Qalamoun. Control of Syria’s borders
is essential to preserving Bashar Assad’s regime. Until now that struggle is
being lost by the regime and Iran. Only the Lebanese border provides some hope
for them. And even then the rebels in Qalamoun are relatively isolated and
surrounded, unlike those in the south and north, who have the space to expand
their territorial control. What happens in Qalamoun, or fails to happen, will
give us an insight into what lies ahead in Syria. But one thing is evident:
Assad’s future will be determined by developments along Syria’s frontiers. The
regime has been unable to reverse the tide of losses along its boundaries. Iran
is discovering that its regional foes can bleed it with a thousand pin pricks.
It wants to be sure that a Qalamoun offensive will not add to the flow.In my
column of last week I mistakenly wrote that Al-Jadeed had revealed the personal
details of witnesses in the trial before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Only
Al-Akhbar did so. While one may question Al-Jadeed’s motives in highlighting the
leaks surrounding the trial, my statement was incorrect.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

Obama strives to engage both Iran and Saudi Arabia
David Ignatius/The Daily Star/Apr. 23, 2015
President Barack Obama has been trying since his September 2013 address to the
United Nations to convince Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies that the United
States is truly committed to their security.
So far, he hasn’t been very successful, but he’ll try again next month at a Camp
David summit meeting.
Obama’s approach is part of a big strategic idea for the Middle East that could
be described as “dual engagement.” On the one hand, the U.S. is seeking an
agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear weapons. On the other, the U.S. wants
to bolster the Saudis and their neighbors through new U.S. military commitments.
The goal is an eventual balance between a less-threatening Iran and a more
confident, forward-leaning Saudi Arabia.
“We need to shape this so that Gulf countries have the ability to engage Iran
from a position of greater equality and parity,” a senior administration
official explained. U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen
against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels is part of that attempt to rebalance a
region where Iran and its proxies have been on a roll.
The U.S. initiative is a complicated two-step that brings to mind the admonition
of Michael Corleone in “The Godfather Part II,” to “keep your friends close but
your enemies closer.” Watching the U.S. cozy up with Iran, the Saudis and their
neighbors must sometimes wonder which they are, friends or enemies. The Camp
David meeting is meant to ease that anxiety.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the military leader of the United Arab Emirates, met
with Obama Monday to explore the agenda for the Camp David meeting, scheduled
for May 13-14. The UAE initially wanted a formal treaty to defend members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council against external aggression. The White House countered
that such a legal pact is “not realistic,” given the problems of Senate
ratification, and “not necessary,” according to the official.
“We can provide ... an expansion of our security assurances to our allies that
would give them confidence we will be there if needed,” the official explained.
He said the White House is now discussing with GCC representatives the specifics
of greater military cooperation, including equipment, training, advanced weapons
systems and joint military exercises.
Yemen has been a test case of the chaotic dynamic in the Gulf. Despite
misgivings, Obama has supported the 3-week-old air war by Saudi Arabia and the
UAE to check the Houthis (who are allied with former President Ali Abdullah
Saleh) and push them toward a political solution. The White House will be
relieved by the Saudi announcement Tuesday that the initial military phase is
ending.
“At some point, an air campaign has diminishing and marginal returns,” the
administration official argues. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Yemen
conflict will have to be solved politically.” The Saudis and Emiratis have been
trying to move in that direction, by peeling the Yemeni tribes away from allying
with the Houthis or the equally menacing Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Gulf
officials reckon that seven formerly rebellious brigades of the Yemeni army are
now cooperating with the government, and that 20 more brigades may join them
soon.
The White House has publicly backed the Yemen operation, but officials worry
that the country has been a graveyard for such optimistic scenarios, and that
Iran’s real aim may be to draw Saudi Arabia into a quagmire.
The White House has a final goal for the Camp David gathering, which is to
galvanize action against internal threats to Gulf security from extremist groups
such as ISIS, rather than just focus on the external threat from Iran. The
administration sees an Arab world in disarray because of failing states and
sectarian proxy wars with Iran that have ravaged Iraq, Syria and now Yemen.
In a radically unstable Middle East, it’s worth remembering two positive
developments: First, the U.S. and Iran are talking productively after 36 years
of enmity. And second, the U.S. is engaging honestly and creatively with its
often prickly Gulf allies. Good policy would make these two trends converge in a
way that, over the next decade, gradually stabilizes the region.
Gulf Arab leaders get offended when they hear Obama say, as he did to Tom
Friedman of the New York Times, that “the biggest threats that they face may not
be coming from Iran invading ... [but from] inside their own countries.” They
shouldn’t worry. Such straight talk is part of a real friendship, and a real
alliance.
**David Ignatius is published twice weekly by THE DAILY STAR.